Should Psychotropic Drugs Be Used For Helping Adhd Children?

ADHD is a very common neurodevelopment disorder of childhood. It is usually diagnosed in late childhood, around the age of seven by the teachers. The symptoms are typical during ages 3-6 and if not treated properly becomes chronic and persists even after entering adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, staying organized and controlling impulsive behaviors. It is very difficult to diagnose and when undiagnosed the children can grow to be mislabeled as trouble makers in their adulthood.

According to the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) there are three main types of ADHD. These types are Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with predominance in inattentiveness, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with predominance in hyperactivity and impulsiveness, and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with a combination of both hyperactivity and inattentiveness. There are certain criteria that must be met before a diagnosis can be made to attribute ADHD to the behavior of anyone.

The trending topic of ADHD and the medication provided has been widely criticized and reviewed for its long and short term affects. Most commonly the concerns are raised from parents struggling to decide whether or not to place their children diagnosed with ADHD on the available prescribed medication. The persistent controversy stems around the long- term effects of stimulant ADHD medication and the development of substance abuse within kids and adults (Zheng, Lichtenstein, Halldner, D’Onofrio, Serlachius, Fazel, Larsson, 2014). Many claims surround the condition is not adequately recognized, while others claim once diagnosed medication is pushed too hard on the parents without knowing the possible hidden dangers or complete understanding

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a neurobiological disorder. Recent research shows that the symptoms of ADD are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. (Rebecca Chapman Booth)

It is understandable for parents who have children who live with ADHD to have concerns about their children’s health. Practitioners inform that even though there is no cure for the health condition, there are several interventional strategies that can be used to help children who live with the condition to lead a happy life. It is upon every person who surrounds the child with ADHD to ensure that they offer any necessary intervention to help the situation.

ADHD can be categorized in one of three groups that being; Inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity, or both of them combined. In order to be diagnosed with inattention disorder you must have six or more symptoms out of the nine to be present for at least six months and present by the age of seven. It also has to be to the point where the symptoms are so bad and consistent that it becomes disruptive or inappropriate for the development as specified in the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) manual’s criteria. (Brown & Rickel 2.) The nine symptoms include; Not paying close attention to details and careless mistakes, trouble keeping attention, not listening when spoken to, not following instructions, failing to finish tasks even simples ones such as homework or chores, being unorganized, avoiding complicated or tedious tasks, misplacing things often, being easily distracted and forgetful.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) formulated a diagnosis for patients with ADHD based on specific clinical criteria (Batstra &Frances 2012) The criteria for ADHD describes chronic behavioral symptoms of inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity that are presented to a degree that significantly interfere with a person’s family and peer relations, as well as their educational or occupational functioning. According to the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual V (DSM-V) criteria there are three main sub-types of ADHD, the mainly hyperactive /impulsive sub-type, the mainly inattentive sub-type and the combined hyperactive-impulsive/inattentive sub-type (Batstra &Frances 2012) In the DSM-V, ADHD is defined

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heritable, neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity (del Campo et al, 2011). The disorder begins in early childhood and persists into adolescence, and for 70% it continues on to adulthood (Sharma & Couture, 2014). Those who suffer ADHD experience challenges, particularly during their development. Impulsivity and inattention often result in lower performance in school, and greater incidents of motor accidents and¬ risky behaviour. Additionally, individuals with ADHD have higher rates of one or more comorbidities including major depression and anxiety disorders (Sharma & Couture).

Through my training and experience I have learned that ADHD is a neurobehavioral development disorder and is a “persistent pattern inattention and/or hyperactivity—impulsivity that is more frequently displayed and more severe than is typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development,” as defined within: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The

ADHD is a disorder that mainly affects children, but can continue into an adult’s daily life. It was classified in 1987 in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-III). It has a variety of negative outcomes that can interrupt a child’s schooling and normal life. There are true cases of ADHD that children have been diagnosis using the DSM-III, but there have been children said to be ADHD because they are just hyperactive. The level of hyperactivity or impulsivity must be appropriately measured by psychologist over years of the children experiencing symptoms to be able to true diagnosis. The proper diagnosis can affect the child’s schooling and life after school as an adult with work skills. It is most often treated using Psychostimulants.

Treatments for ADHD is classified into non medicine treatments and medicine treatments. Non medicine treatments are divided into Biological and Psychosocial interventions. The objective of biological approach is to minimise children's abrupt behavior, and enhancing their attentional skills. (Barlow &

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be a sensitive subject to discuss with a patient or a parent. The parents could easily be in denial and attempt to hide the problem. Diagnosing a child with ADHD is never easy, just like as difficult it is to talk about medication for ADHD. A parent would probably rather try different approaches to treat a child’s attention problem. In some cases, only medication could help a child with ADHD to live their life to their fullest. Medication could ensure the child excels in their education, in extracurricular activities and keeping a good relationship with their family and friends. Although medication could help, medications could also have possible negative side-effects. It is important to

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that causes inattention, hyperactivity/ impulsivity, or both. There are three different types of ADHD.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects school aged children with a high degree of inattention, excessive hyperactivity, impulsivity or a combination of any of these. In order for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD, there must be two different environments in which the child has displayed his or her symptoms and it must occur before the child is twelve years of age (Halter, 2014). Children have a high comorbidity level with developmental, learning and psychiatric problems. There are three types of ADHD; inattentive type, hyperactive-impulsive type and combination type. With inattentive type the child displays disorganization, is unable to complete tasks, becomes easily bored, and

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is a common mental disorder whose definition continues to change. Most clinicians make a diagnosis off of a list of symptoms in three categories: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. There are three different subtypes of ADHD: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Combined Type if both the inattentive criteria and the hyperactive/impulsive criteria have been present for the past six months; Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Inattentive Type if the inattention criteria are met but the hyperactive/impulsive criteria has not been present for the past six months; and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Predominantly Hyperactive/Impulsive